POETRY/ART/PHOTOS ETC HERE

REAL LIFE

BY JAMES A. GALGANO

THE WORLD CRASHED THROUGH MY WINDOW THE OTHER DAY

LIKE A BRICK WRAPPED TIGHTLY

IN THE MILLENIUM OLD LAUNDRY OF MY SPECIES

FILLED WITH THE EXCREMENT

OF OUR BANKRUPT PHILOSOPHIES’

RATIONALE FOR DEVASTATING THE PLANET

OF ITS LOWER FOOD CHAIN EXISTENCE

EVEN ITS OWN KIND WHO THREATEN THEIR GOAL

OF DEVELOPING AND/OR PLUNDERING NATIONS

FOR THE WEALTH AND NOT THE GOOD

IF ANY IT MIGHT BRING

MAN'S INHUMANITY TO MAN

SHOWED ITS UGLY FACE TO ME

LIKE A STRIPTEASE HOPING TO DISGUST

RATHER THAN ALLURE

UNDISTURBED BY MY PROTESTATIONS

WHICH WERE SEEN AS ONLY A CHALLENGE

OR INVITATION TO IMPROVE

THE DEVIOUSNESS AND EFFECTIVENESS

OF ITS TORTUOUS METHODS

ALL IN THE NAME OF DEMOCRACY,

DEFENDING THE HOMELAND OR ITS RELIGION

MADE BY MAN IN THE DISTORTED IMAGE

OF IMAGINARY DEITIES

WHO IF TRULY EXISTED WOULD HAVE KILLED THEMSELVES

OR LEFT LONG AGO IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT,

HOPING NONE WOULD NOTICE THEIR IMPERFECTIONS

WHICH NOW WREAK HAVOC ON US ALL IN THEIR NAME

A CHILD WALKED INTO MY CLASSROOM

CRYING YESTERDAY

HER BROTHER HAD BEEN KILLED BY A STRAY BULLET

MEANT FOR ANOTHER

IT PASSED THROUGH HIS HEART

AND INTO THE BELLY OF A PREGNANT MOTHER

LEAVING ONE FOR DEAD AND TWO OTHERS

AT THE MERCY OF UNINSURED HEALTHCARE

HOW CAN YOU COMFORT THIS SORROW

HOW CAN YOU DERAIL THESE HORRORS

AND THEIR INCLEMENT DESPAIR

MY EMBRACE WAS ONLY TEMPORARY COMFORT

FOR THIS RANDOM LOSS OF INNOCENCE

WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THOSE TEARS TURN

TO HATRED

AND STATISTICAL REVENGE ADDING TO THE SORROW

AS THE DOMINOE FALLS TOWARD ANOTHER TOMORROW

WITH AN EVER RIPPLING EXPANSION OF WOE

THIS IS THE REALITY WE DON'T SEE

ON THE COMMERCIAL NEWS

IN BETWEEN THE PRODUCTS THEY MAKE US CRAVE

FOR THEIR EXPANDING PROFIT MARGINS

THESE ARE THE DARKER ANGELS

WHO NOW ROAM FREELY ACROSS OUR PLANET

WITH THE BLESSING

OF QUESTIONABLY CHOSEN LEADERS CONSENT

WHILE WE SIT COMPLACENTLY

IN OUR LIVING ROOMS DYING

FROM THE CHEMICALS WE INGEST

WHILE TRANSFIXED ON PLASMA SCREENS

SURFING THE WEBS WE NOW FIND OURSELVES WITHIN

WHILE A NEWLY EVOLVED SPIDER DESCENDS

SLOWLY GRINNING IRONY’S SARCASTIC REFRAIN

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DYING SPECIES

DESCENDING SLOWLY ON THE PROVERBIAL FOOD CHAIN